Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-06-03
A STORY OF THE SIEGE OF ATLANTA
Inc Mysterious Murder ola Beautiful Woman
superstition That She Was Federal Spy.

- a.
The Mysterious Murder ofa Beautiful Woman.
superstition That She Was Federal Spy
Of all the weird stories which have
0een told OF the siege of Atlanta, SAYS
Inc constitution, one of the most
tragic and sensational has never been
seen in print.
II was when Gen. Sherman was playing
1iGe-ano-seek with the army of Gen. Joe
Johnston, On the way from Chattanooga,
,na' woman of ravishing beauty made
hef appearance in Atlanta. Where she
csne from no one knew; of her people
she hsVer spoke; but il was surmised by
some OF the ladies who had gotten near
her that she bore some secret sorrow-
perhaps the sacrifice of some loved one
On the bloody fields of Virginia.
Day by day train loads of wounded
confederates reached Atlanta from the
front. The ladies of the city engaged in
hospital work with zeal worthy the sis
tiers and wives of brave men. Jealous they
were IN this work. Miss Emma, which
was The only name by which she was
generally known, became noted because
OF her endurance and fidelity. As she
passed from ward to ward the dying men
would turn their eyes smilingly toward
ner. She was indeed the angel of the
hospital.
Notwithstanding all this the eve of
suspicion fell upon her. Was she a spy?
L ne question would have been laughed at
oy most people, and yet there were those
VINO detected In her manner something
Wnlcn they did not like. But the sus-
plclon was hushed by the uniformly
phllanthropic work in which Miss Emma
was engaged.
At last Shermans lines were drawn
around the city, and the people began to
experience all the horrors of a siege,
Inc SICK and dying were multiplied and
the efforts of noble women to relieve
them became exhausted. Miss Emma
grew pale with her excessive work. Rest
she declined to take while q wound was
to be bondaged or dying maa longed
for kind words.
The sound of reverly was often heard
amid the din of battle. Even when the
people were driven into the bomb proofs
they sang and danced, for they recogniz-
ed the philosophy of driving grief away
by pleasure. Balls, somewhat i'm
promptu, 1t Is true, were given, and the
ladies looked more charming in their
confederate toilets than they could have
looked IN silks. The officers were always
the hsaux on such occasions, for beauty
is attracted by bravery.
10 these gatherings Miss Emma never
went, but there came time when she
was pressed to go. The colonel of q
gallant infantry regiment had invited
her to bomb proof ball. Miss Emma
was pressed to go as a relief from the
pressing hospital work which was slowly
killing her. She at last consented, and
Yves soon IN the merry dancers.
The kind lady with whom Miss Emma
lodged did not awake until the sun was
an hour nigh the next day. She had not
heard Miss Emma enter but no dream of
harm entered her mind. She determined
not to disturb the psor lady, but to let
her sleep on, for did not her faithful ser
vice entitle her to rest?
There was excited crowds upon the
street. Orderlies on horseback dashed
too and fro. The roar OF Sherman's ar
Ulllery was becoming more and more ter
rltc. There was something in the air
which announced that crisis was i'm
minent.
But still the lady slept!
The hour was growing late, and the
excitement of the people outside was in
creasing.
knock at Miss Emmas door brought
no answer. When the door was burst
open singular sight was presented
Reclining upon the sofa, Miss Emma
lay as If in peaceful sleep. She was
dressed IN white, with yellow belt
around her waist and blue cape threw
carelessly across her shoulders. Upon
the finger of one hand was an elegant
diamond ring. The other arm, snowy in
its whlteness, YVES thrown above her head.
She presented beautiful picture. She
did not move upon the entrance of her
friend
To the touch she was cold.
If she breathed at all it was so quietly
that death could not still it more.
The cape was lifted, when a horrible
wound in the breast was disclosed. 1t
appeared as if a whole load of bird shot
had been lodged in her bosom. Poor
Emma was deaa-murdered!
But by whom?
The window overlooking the garden
vas raised. The footsteps of several
men were visible, and the box upon which
they stood in order to reach the window
was still in place. 1t was evident that
after the poor girl met her death her
body was quietly carried back, thrust
through the window, and the remains
arranged upon a sofa with an eye to
every detail which might have an effect.
Not an article of jewelry was missing.
Everything was in place.
But Sherman's men were entering tho
city. The gallant confederates were re-
retreating. Confusion reigned supreme.
In the general stampede which followed
lesser sensations were forgotten. When
at last the smoke of battle cleared away
and people returned to rebuild their for
tunes the fate of the murdered woman
was recalled and three theories were
maintained.
One was that during the ball a shrapnel
shell had penetrated the street, and, ex
ploding, killed Miss Emma. The second
was that on her way home she had been
outraged and murdered by her escort.
The third was that she was federal spy,
that she was tasked with her identity, and
that she had all along been furnishing
Sherman with important information.
Enraged by her treachery, the men SEN
fenced her to death and executed the
sentence. Her body was then hurriedly
returned to the room from which she had
emerged the evening before, joyous and
beautiful.
But it was too late to investigate. At
ter while the whole matter was forgot
ten, and even now her;grave in Oakland
is unknown.